Lauren Loves Good Food

Aaaaand I just spent way to long Googling whether you capitalize “to” in a title.

Would you believe it if I told you I used to love milk.  No, not love.  Love.

You probably wouldn’t because this blog features almond milk as my milk of choice.  But you know what?  I don’t love drinking a glass of almond milk, so I certainly don’t love drinking a glass of almond milk.  Unless it’s flavored.  Chocolate or vanilla almond milk is delicious. 

A few months ago I was struck with the brilliant idea to drink a glass or real milk, which I just happened to have on hand because I had a recipe that called for 2%.  It was in this moment of pure spontaneity that I remembered how much I truly adore real milk.  In buying almond milk for the past year, I feel like I’ve sort of turned my back on who I’ve always been.  Since that night, I’ve been buying organic milk and I haven’t looked back since.

This wasn’t a decision I made because I needed more protein, or calcium or calories.  I made it because I wanted it.  Funny thing about the human body, it kind of knows what it wants without your brain having to think about it.  Have you ever ended a weekend splurge fest with a fierce craving for a big salad, or spent a night out drinking and all you could think about when you woke up the next morning was water?  Yeah, me neither…

I’ve found that as my ideas about the healthy living blog world change, so does my perception of what foods look, sound and taste good to me.  Nutritional yeast sauces, chia seed puddings, flax crackers and all kinds of gums and protein powders.  Those things work great for others, but for me, they’ve never tasted as good as the things they’re trying to replace and since I have no reason not to eat the real things, I shouldn’t have to rely on those less familiar ingredients.  The blog world makes it seem like everyone is eating these things.  That baked goods have to be vegan and every recipe has to include ingredients to add extra protein.  I don’t agree.

Guilty.

I want to eat old-fashioned favorites.  Mac and cheese, enchiladas, red beans and rice, pizza, pork roast.  Just kidding, I’ve never liked pork roast, but my mom has been trying to convince me otherwise for the past 22 years.

Am I saying I’ll never eat chia seeds again or suddenly crave tofu?  No.  I’m just saying, there are certain things I’ve loved since I was a kid (you know, back when weight and health weren’t an issue), and no one should turn their back on those things just because they’re less prevalent in the blog world. 

Here’s to real milk!